Car-seal.



E. E. FAIRGHILD & E. CLARK.

GAR SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1908.

961,223. Patented June 14, 1910.

ANDREW a GRAHAM c0. PNOTO LITHOGRAPNER$ wAsmnmon. n. c

- UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN E. FAIRCHILD, OF LOS ANGELES, AND FRANKLIN E. CLARK, OF FLORENCE,

CALIFORNIA.

CAR-SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 119, 14, 1910,

Application filed August 6, 1908. Serial No. 447,346.

'fication.

Our invention relates to locking seals for railway freight cars and thelike and particularly to seals of that class wherein a bendable strip isemployed and so arranged that the strip has to be fractured in order toremove the seal.

In furtherance of the above object we have provided a chambered headhaving an apertured strap formed integrally therewith, and a lockengaging plate of a configuration adapted to so engage the apertured.end of the strap as to render it impossible .to open the locked sealwithout first destroying it.

To accomplish the above object by means of the device described hereinand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is aperspective View of our complete seal. Fig. 2, is an enlargedlongitudinal section of the chambered head showing the seal in itslocked position. Fig. 3, is an enlarged longitudinal section of thechambered head illustrating a modified form, the seal being in itslocked position. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of a modified form ofthe apertured end of the strap. F ig. 1, is an enlarged perspectivedetail of our preferred form of locking plate. Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8,- aremodified forms of locking plates. Fig. 9, is an enlarged longitudinalsection of the chambered head illustrating another modified form, theseal being in its locked position.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, 1O designates a bendablesealing strap of any suitable material and of the required length. Oneend of strap 10 is bent upon itself to form a hook 11, which is slightlyresilient, enough so to spring somewhat and then resume its normalposition when pressure thereon is removed. The opposite end of strap 10is formed into a chambered head 12 open on the attached end. Strap 10and chambered head 12 are preferably formed from a single piece ofmaterial, the side edges 13 being crimped to the bottom edges 14. Thatportion of the strap 10 which enters the chambered head is redoubledupon itself to form a hook 15 which preferably extends midway theinterior of the head 12. Hook 11 formed on the opposite end of strap 10is adapted to pass in the chambered head below hook 15 and engage thesame, the hook 11 being somewhat resilient springs upwardly afterpassing the end 16 of hook 15, thereby forming what we term as the firstengaging lock of the seal.

Situated in the upper portion of chambered head, that is that portionabove hook 15 is a tongued locking plate 17, clearly illustrated in Fig.4 of the drawings. This plate is rectangular in form as illustrated andis provided with a preferably rectangular aperture 18 near one end ofplate 17 which end is doubled upon itself to form a hooked or pocketedend 19. The opposite end of aperture 18 is provided with a spring detentor tongue 20 projecting slightly downwardly from the under face of plate17, and as shown in Fig. 2, projecting slightly under the hooked end 19of the plate. Hook end 11 of strap 10 is provided with an aperture 21which, after entering the chambered head and passing chamber hook 15,(which releases the end of hook 11), is pulled forwardly, that is towardthe open end of the chambered head, when the second locking operationoccurs, the tongue entering the aperture 21 in the hook 11. As edge 22of the aperture 21 passes the end of tongue 20, hook end 11 of strip 10is pushed forwardly so that end 23 of hook 11 may pass over the edge 24of hooked end 19 and enter the pocket 19, this constituting the thirdand last lock. 7

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings thatwhen theend of the resilient hook 11 is forced into pocket 19 formed on thelocking plate 17 that it will be absolutely impossible to insert anyform of tool into the chambered head to disengage the hooked end of thestrap from the locking plate, as the tip or outer end of this hook isprotected by the pocketed end 19, thereby preventing any downwarddepression of the end of thehook 11 to disengage it from the tongue 20which projects under the hooked end 19. By providing a hook engagingmeans on the locking plate, it will be observed that when the hook is inengagement therewith it is securely locked thereto, the plate being of asize to prevent a withdrawal from the chambered head.

In Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings we have illustrated another form oflocking plate 25 which is provided with a tongue 26, but instead of anaperture, it is provided with a recess 27 of practically the sameconfiguration as used in the Estell Patent No. 733,708, dated July 14th,1903. To rectify the defect which would thus be produced, we haveprovided a boss 28, formed in the upper wall of chambered head 12, andhave formed on the end of strap 10 a teat 29 of less width than thewidth of recess 27, so that when tongue 26 enters the aperture 30 in thehooked end of strap 10, and the strap is pushed forwardly, the teat 29will pass between arms 31 and 32 which form the sides of recess 27 ofplate 25 and rest against one side of boss 28. By the provision of boss28 and the end of tongue 26 projecting thereunder it will be seen thatthe insertion of a tool of any description to release the end of hook 11from engagement with tongue 26 would be frustrated by boss 28.

We consider the above described form of seal nearly as safe as thepreferred form (Fig. 2) the boss 28 fulfilling all the functions of thehooked pocket 19 of the preferred form.

In Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings we have illustrated other forms oflocking plates which subserve the same functions and purposes as theplate illustrated in Fig. 2.

The plate illustrated in Fig. 6 instead of being provided with apocketed end like the plate illustrated in Fig. 4 is provided with atransverse bar 34: which forms an aperture 33, through which the teat 29on the end of the hook 11 (illustrated in Fig. 3 is adapted to passresting on the bar 34, the tongue 35 first entering the aperture 30 inthe hook. By the use of this plate an attempted depression of the hook11 to disengage the same from the tongue 35 would be prevented.

The plate illustrated in Fig. 7 is practically the same as the one shownin Fig. 6 except bar 3 1 is provided with a depressed portion 36 intowhich teat 29 enters and is held in place. By means of this form weareenabled to mass the hooks and plate into a more compact form.

Fig. 8 represents a form of plate provided with a plurality of tongues37, 38; this form of plate is preferably used with the form of hookedend of strap 10 as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, tongue 37 preferablyprojecting slightly under ton e 38. In this form of plate tongue 37 isadapted to first enter the aperture in the hooked end of strap 10 andthe strap is then pushed forwardly so that the edge or end 23 of hook 11will pass over the tongue 38 thus securely fastening the hook to theplate and preventing any disengagement therefrom.

In Fig. 9 we have represented a form of locking plate similar to theform shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings but the chambered head instead ofbeing provided with a boss extending downwardly into the chamber, has aboss 39 which is forced upwardly in the opposite direction so that whenthe hooked end of strap 10 is inserted the edge 23 will project upwardlyinto the cavity formed by the boss 39 and all danger of disengagement ofhook 11 from the tongue will be thus obviated.

It will be observed that by the use of the aperture in the locking plateinstead of the recess form that is illustrated in Fig. 5 of thedrawings, we are enabled to prevent tampering with the seal, the hookedend of the strap being forced into a position from whence it is almostimpossible to dislodge it from the plate.

The several locking plates illustrated in the various views of thedrawings are approximately the same length and width as the interiordimensions of the chambered seal head and are disposed above the hook 15formed in the interior of the chambered head during the operation offorming the seal, the hook 15 preventing a withdrawal or any unduemovement of the plates after the completion of the seal.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a car seal, in combination, a straphaving an apertured hook on one end and a chambered hook engaging headon the other, and a tongued locking plate having one of its ends bent onitself to form a pocket for the reception of the strap hook end, wherebyto prevent the disengagement of the strap hook from the locking plate.

2. In a car seal, in combination, a strap having an apertured hook atone end and a chambered hook engaging head at the other, said chamberedhead being formed integral with said strap, a locking plate disposed insaid head, said plate provided with a tongue adapted to engage theaperture in the hook, and means formed on said locking plate adapted toengage the end of the strap hook, whereby to prevent disengagement ofthe hook from the locking plate. I

3. In a car seal, in combination, a strap having an apertured hook atone end and a hook engaging head at the other, and an apertured tonguedlocking plate provided with hook engaging means formed on one endthereof, said means adapted to engage the hook end of the strap, wherebyto prevent disengagement of the hook from the locking plate.

4:. In combination with a car seal, of a.

locking plate, comprising a body member extending under and beyond thepocketed having one end thereof turned over to form end.

a pocket, and a tongue formed integrally In Witness that We claim theforegoing We With said body member, both the tongue and have hereuntosubscribed our names this 15 5 the end forming the pocket being on the31st day of July, 1908.

same face of the body member. E. E. FAIROHILD.

5. In combination With a car seal of a locking plate, comprising a bodymbmber FRANKLIN CLARK having one end thereof bent upon itself toWitnesses: 10 form a pocket, and a tongue formed in- EDMUND A. STRAUSE,

tegrally with said body member, said tongue OLLIE PALMER.

